They would ask me what actors I saw in the roles. I would tell them, and they’d say “Oh that’s interesting.” And that would be the end of it.
--Elmore Leonard, in 2000, on the extent of his input for Hollywood's adaptation of his novels

Friday, May 21, 2010

Jeremy Robinson's "Instinct"

Jeremy Robinson is a bestselling novelist whose books include The Didymus Contingency, Raising the Past, and Antarktos Rising.

Here is his take on casting adaptations of his first two Chess Team novels, which have been praised by Stephen Coonts, David Lynn Golemon, and Thomas Greanias:

Pulse and Instinct are both part of the Chess Team series which would make a blockbuster movie franchise similar to G.I. Joe meets Clash of the Titans — lots of action, guns, cool tech and mythical monsters. Here’s who I would cast to play the six man Chess Team:

King: Hugh Jackman —I’ve always had Jackman in mind for King. He’s got the right build, the right hair and can pull off the personality without any trouble.

Queen: Charlize Theron – Not only is she a blond hottie, but she can act and do the serious/angry roles that Queen would demand. She’s not always a light character!

Rook - Jason Statham – He’s awesome in action roles, can play the funny man and with a slight tweak to his accent would make a convincing New Englander.

Bishop – I have no idea. Despite all my searching I cannot come up with a large, super-strong actor of Arab decent that fits the bill. Would have to be somebody new.

Knight – Rain (Ninja Assassin) – Knight is a pretty boy Korean that can kick some butt. Rain was born to play Knight.

Deep Blue – Bruce Willis – Deep Blue, then ex-Army Ranger of the team can still open a can of whup-ass if need be, but his tough, smart and balding character is a perfect match for Willis.

And there you have it. With the exception of Bishop, the cast alone would sell movie tickets ... and take up about fifty million of the budget.

“Compared to a novel, a film is like an economy pizza where there are no olives, no ham, no anchovies, no mushrooms, and all you’ve got is the dough.”
--Louis de Bernières, author of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin